Apparatus for reshaping annealing boxes



Dec. 1 l, 1928.

C. V. DODGE APPARATUS FOR RESHAPING ANNEALING BOXES.

2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 1:5, 1925 C. V. DODGE APPARATUS FOR'RESHAPING ANNEALING' BOXES Dec. 11, 1928.

Filed Aug. 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 M mm ww Patented Dec.*1l, 192s.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL V. DODGE, OF BELLEVUE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED ENGINEERING & FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATITS FOR BESH APING ANNEALING BOXES.

Application filed August 13,1925. Serial No. 50,009.

ing boxes.

" At the present time'annealing boxes are very extensively utilized in the manufacture of sheets, and efforts have been directed wlth more or less success to the construction of 1 annealing boxes. in such'manner as to prevent distortion of the walls thereof. Ordlnarily, annealing boxes aresold on a pound basis, and as large annealing boxes weigh many thousand pounds, it will be apparent that any means for effecting an increase in the length of life of the annealing boxes represents a corresponding decrease in the relative cost of sheets produced by their use.

The present invention has particularly for its object the provision of an effective apparatus by means of which annealing boxes which have become distorted in use may be quickly andeffectively restored to substantially their original condition, whereby they may again be put into service and aga n used.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown, for purposes of illustration only, a

preferred embodiment of'the present invention, it being understood that the drawings do not define the limits of. my invention, as changes in the construction and operation disclosed therein may-be made without departing either from the spirit of the invention or the scope of my broader claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus'illustrated in Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line III-III of Figure 1;,

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional aview on the line IVIV of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line V--V of Figure-4.

In accordance with 'thepresent invention, a straightening apparauts efiective for restoring. annealing boxes to the desired shape may compri'se'a base 2 on which. the various operating parts of the apparatus are supported and on which is adapted to be carried the :an intermediate spring annealing box B to be operated upon. This base may conveniently comprise side girders- 3 fabricated from I-beams if desired and connected by transversely extending braces 4.

Adjacent one end of the base there is provided a motor 5, the shaft 6 of which may be connected to a pump 7 through a flexible coupling 8 diagrammatically illustrated in thedrawings. The pump may be of any desired construction, having an intake connection 9 and an outlet connection 10. The inlet connection may cooperate at its lower end with a fluid reservoir Band at its upper end with the intake of the pump, whilethe outlet extends from the pump-to a fittin 11. This fitting may comprise a cross, as illustrated in Figure 1, having a connection for a pressure gauge 12, a connection for a bypass 13 and a connection for a pressure line 14, in addition to the connection for the out let line 10. The by-pass 13-is provided with a controlling valve 15 which controls the flow through the by-pass to the fluid reser voir R.

With this construction it will be apparent that with the valve 15 in open position, fluid may be pumped from the reservoir B into the connection 11 and thence by the by-pass directly to the reservoir. With the valve 15 in closed position, however, fluid under 'pres: sure will be delivered to the pressure line 14 which is connected at its opposite end to a nipple 16 delivering to the interior of a cylins5 der 17 formed within the cylinder casting 18. This cylinder casting, as clearly illustrated in Figure 5, may have supporting projections 19 adapted to directly cooperate with the beams 3 to which they may be secured in any so desired manner and in anydesired adjusted I position.

Cooperating with the cylinder isa piston 20 having a suitable packin 21 and carry-132g i at its outer end a straig teningihea This straightening head isrguided by bolts 23 positioned in recesses 21 in the cylinder castingand surrounded by primary compression springs 25 and secondary compression spiings 26. Conveniently, the primary and secondary compression springs at each side of the c linder are adapted to be partially nested, t is being accomplished by providing ousing 27 having a bolt 23. The threaded end of the bolt may be effectively protected and the desired compression initially secured on the springs by providing a nut 31 having a tubular projection 32 provided with an inner threaded portion 33 cooperating'with the bolt. This tubular projection serves as a guide for the inner end of the spring housing 27 and also'as a guiding means for the bolt at the point of projection through the cylinder c'asting.-- In actual operation the load on the springs will preferably be adjusted initially in such manner as to insure the return of the piston to the full line'position illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and .37. in the cylinder casting for maintaining 4 of the drawings, it being apparent that movement in the opposite direction is obto the cylinder to the pressure line 14.

The cylinder casting is of such construc' I tion that it is adapted to be built up to diiier-f ent sizes by the addition thereto of. removable and replaceable unit 1 sections 34, each unit section having side openings 35. adapted to receive tie bolts 36 extending through openinlgs t e desired number of unit sections in applie position.

; curved at its outer end, as clearly illustrated in the drawings, whereby it has a limited area of contact with the portion of the wall of the annealing box B to be straightened. The unit sections 34, onthe other hand, are'so shaped as to cooperate'with a much reater illg zones in this or some similar manner, the

area of the annealin box to thereby orm a backing-up support or the apparatus during the rojection of the piston and straightening liead. By providing inwardly support straightening effect can be concentrated on that portion of the box requiring avstraight enin operation. When the straightening has een accomplished to the desired extent, the valve 15 may be moved to open position,

' whereupon the spring means provided will be efi'ective for enfptymg the cylinder of the fluid supplied thereto, returning the fluid to the reservoir R and restoringthe straightening head to its normal position.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the 1 art that the pump 7 may be provided with a -,suitable pressure control 38 of any desired nieIisi0ns as to 'eifectively cooperate with The straightening head 22 is conveniently small annealing boxes, and at the same time it mayhave' unit sections added thereto, as re quired, for increasing its over-all dimensions to permit use of theapparatus with annealing boxes of maximum dimensions,

' The advantages of the present inventionarise from the provision broadly of an apparatus capable of reshapingannealing boxes to restore the same to substantially their orlgmal condition. a

Further advantages arise from the fluid pressure apparatus comprising straightening means and pressure producing means mounte'doni a common base, which base is also adapted v to support the box being straightened. 4

Still further advantages of the invention arise from the provision 'of a straightening apparatus comprising one member adapted to have unit sections applied thereto or removed therefrom at will, whereby the 'eiiective dimensions may be "varied as required for boxes of difierent sizes. tamed by the fluid under pressure supplied Iclaim:

gaging members adapted to engage opposite boxes, comprisingrelatively movable box enpoints of a box to be straightened, said mem- :bers having box" engaging surfaces of differ,- ent eifective d1mens1ons,.one of said members comprising a plurality of removable and replaceable, sections adapted to vary the distance between said members, substantiallyas described. r v, a

' 2. Apparatus for straightening annealing boxes, comprising relatively movable-box engaging members adapted to engage points in the opposite walls of the box to be straightened, said members having'box engaging surfaces of different effective areas, and means for efi'ecting relative movement of said members in both 'directions,.said means comprising spring' means for efiecting movementof said members in one direction and fluid pressure means for efi'ecting movement in the opposite directiomsubstantiaHy as de-' scribed. i

- 3. Apparatus for straightening annealing boxes, comprising relatively movable'box engaging members, 'fluid pressure means for effecting movement of one of said members in one direction, other means for efiecting movement of said member in the opposite direction, and a plurality ofunit sections detachably carri'e by one of said members, sub; stantially as described.

4. Straightening apparatus boxes, comprising a base, a fluid pressure 0 .l-' inder mounted on said base, a piston mova le in the c linder, a straightening head connected to tli nected to the c linder at the. end opposite the e piston,- a backing up-support' confor annealing straightening sad, and a .pluralltyof unit 4 sections attachable at will to the backingup support for varying the overall dimenslons between the backing up support and the straightening head, substantially as described. I

5. Apparatus for strai htening annealing boxes com rising a cylin er, a piston in said able in said cylinder, fluid pressure means for 'moving the piston outwardly in said cylinder, a plurality of guide bolts slidably mounted in the cylinder casting, a straightening head connected to said bolts and engaging the piston, said bolts forming guides for the strai htening head, and springs surrounding I "said 0lts for returning the piston and the casting, 'means for said iston, and a p urallty of unit sections substantially as described.

straightening head, substantially as described.

7.'A straightening apparatus for annealing boxes, comprising a base, a cylindrical casting mounted on said base, a piston movable in said cylinder, fluid pressure means for moving the piston outwardly in said cylinder, a plurallt of guide bolts slidably mounted in the cy inder casting, a straightening head connected to said bolts and engag ing thepis'ton, said bolts forming guides for thestralghtening head, and a primary and secondary spring surrounding each of the bolts for returning the straightenin head and the piston, substantially as descrlbed.

. 8. Apparatus for straightening annealing boxes, comprising a base, a cylinder castin carried thereby, a piston movable' in sai roducing movement of attac able at will to saidcylinder casting,

9. Apparatus for straightening annealing boxes, comprising a base, a cylinder casting carried thereby over which the box to be straightened is positioned, a piston movable ments Wh'le the ot in said casting, means for producing'm'ove I ment of said piston, a"box engaging member on the piston, a box engaging memberon the cylinder casting, and means for increasing t e effective overall length between the box engaging members on the cylinder casting and piston, substantially as described.

10. -Apparatus for straightening annealing boxes, comprising a base arranged to support the .box to' be straightened, relatively movable box engaging members adapted to engage opposite sides ofa box to be straightened'when the box is supported on the base, means for securing one of said members to the-base, one of said members having a relatively small rounded box engaging surface while the other 1 member. has two plane separated portions on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the rounded engaging portion, substantially asdescribed.

11. Apparatus for straightening annealing boxes, comprising a base arranged to support the boxto be straightened, relatively Y movable box engaging members adapted to engage opposite sides of a box to be straightened, one of said'memb'ers being secured to the base and-having two separated relatively large box engaging surfaces which form abuther member merely enga es the box at one point where'it is to be straig tened at the sideopposite to that engaged by the abutments.

12. Apparatusfor straightening annealing boxes, comprisin a base arranged to support the box to be stra ghtened, relatively movable straightening members adapted to engage points on the opposite walls of the box to be straightened including a piston and a cylinder, means for securing one of said members to the base, means for supplying fluid pressure to said 0 linder for movmg one member relative to t e other, and other means for returnin the moved member, substantially as descri d.

Y In testimony-whereof I have hereunto setmy hand.

, CARL v. DODGE. 

